Mirpurkhas district in Sindh is witnessing a worrying surge in pediatric HIV cases, with 150 new cases reported in 2024, according to official statistics cited by Geo News.
📊 Key Stats:
- Mirpurkhas accounts for 26% of the 568 pediatric HIV cases in Sindh last year 🧒
- Average: 48 children diagnosed monthly in the province 🏥
- In Mirpurkhas: 78 boys and 72 girls tested positive in 2024 🚸
💢 Other affected districts:
- Larkana: 52 boys, 35 girls 🧑🤝🧑
- Shikarpur: 27 boys, 19 girls 📍
- Hyderabad: 36 boys, 25 girls 🏘️
- Jacobabad: 23 boys, 15 girls 📊
🌍 Sindh’s HIV Landscape (2024):
- Total cases: 3,446 🧬
- Men: 1,811 | Women: 813 | Transgender: 254 | Children: 568 👨👩👦
- Monthly average: 287 new cases, 48 among children
💉 Root Cause: Unsafe medical practices 😷
“Infectious diseases experts blame poor Infection Prevention and Control (IPC),” Geo News reported. Reuse of syringes and IV drips, even by registered medical practitioners, is cited as the primary transmission mode.
🗣️ Expert Insight:
“When we test parents of these children, most of the time, they test negative, while in many cases, even other siblings… test negative for the virus. This indicates that poor IPC and unsafe injection practices are the leading cause of HIV transmission among children,” said Dr Faisal Mehmood, head of infectious diseases at Aga Khan University Hospital.
⚠️ Why This Matters:
✅ Urgent need for safer medical practices in rural Sindh 🩹
✅ Heightened public health intervention is crucial 🆘
✅ Awareness campaigns can curb the spread 🗣️